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Posted on December 5, 2000

UMaine Students Building a Paper Sail

A team of University of Maine engineering students will attempt to sail away with another first place finish in the Energy Challenge sponsored by the Institute for Paper Science and Technology. This year's test will be to create a paper sail for an Olympic-sized sailboat and race the boat in a closed course competition on Lake Lanier near Atlanta, Georgia next spring.

In 1999, UMaine won the competition that required students to design and build a kayak out of paper. Their entry was judged on the basis of energy efficiency and paper quality as well as the best race time.

The purpose of the Energy Challenge is to encourage students to develop methods to reduce energy use and minimize waste as part of their educational programs. The forest products industry generates more than two billion tons of waste annually and is one of the most energy intensive industries in the country.

A total of 17 students are participating on the UMaine team. They will compete against teams from four other universities: Miami University; North Carolina State University; State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry; and the University of Central Florida.

“We get a laugh when we tell people we're trying to make a paper sail,” says Monique Cote of Presque Isle, a senior in chemical engineering. “It's obviously unusual. It's not nylon and not waterproof. Our challenge will be to strengthen it.”

The students are meeting weekly with John Hwalek, professor in chemical engineering who specializes in using a type of software known as a neural network to improve manufacturing processes.

At the start of the contest, each team will receive 100 pounds of wood chips. The finished sail can weigh no more than 15 pounds and must be at least 80 percent wood fiber. The other 20 percent can be composed of common chemicals and materials used in paper manufacturing.

The students will begin by processing the wood chips to make the pulp that they will use to create their paper. Their techniques will determine the energy efficiency of the process and the strength of the product.

“It's as close as I'll come in school to finding a similar project to what I was doing in my co-op job at Madison Paper,” says Ryan Baker, a senior from Belgrade.

The sail will be scored on the basis of its gross weight, materials composition, total sail area, tear and tensile energy absorption performance, aesthetics and novelty as judged by a professional sail maker.

One member of the team, Brian Dries from Windham, is a sailor. “I've been sailing since I was ten, but I never thought I'd be sailing a boat with a paper sail,” he says.

Other students involved in the project include David Talbot, Bowdoin; Brian Purdy, Raymond; Jessica Crosby, Millinocket; Jessica Esty, Waterville; Karen Johnson, Scarborough; Alex Claverie, Exeter; Matt James, Woodland; Jacquelyn Ritchie, Fairfield; Jeffrey Charette, Lisbon; Dana Cook, Jay; Rich Roy, Chatham, Mass.; Matthew Menchen, Portland; Christi Jacques, Biddeford; Jamie Royal, Hanover, Pennsylvania.

UMaine has the advantage of being able to use the pulp and paper pilot plant in Jenness Hall to produce materials and experiment with different production techniques.

In addition to the competition itself, three team members and Hwalek will travel to Washington D.C. in February to attend an energy efficiency and waste minimization trade show organized by the U.S. Dept. of Energy. They will be responsible for managing an information booth at the show and presenting a poster about their work.

“It's a good learning experience, but beyond that, it gives us a real world, hands-on chance to exercise responsibility and test our skills,” says Matt James, a senior from Woodland.

The students received a $2,000 start-up grant from the DOE to buy chemicals and other materials. In addition to bragging rights for producing the best sail, winning teams will receive $15,000 for first place, $10,000 for second and $5,000 for third.

The event is sponsored by the DOE, Hercules International (chemical manufacturer), Vanguard Sailboats and the IPST.

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